Tereshinski making an early impression

Bulldog Notebook

Posted: Tuesday, March 12, 2002

Mark Richt has concerns about several positions on his team, but quarterback isn't one them. Even true freshman Joe Tereshinski III, the Bulldogs' fourth-string quarterback, is drawing praise from the coach just five days into spring practice.

Tereshinski was an all-state selection the previous two seasons at Athens Academy. Last year, the 6-foot-3, 205-pounder passed for 1,642 yards and led the Spartans to the quarterfinals of the GHSA playoffs before enrolling early at Georgia in December.

''He should be in high school right now,'' Richt noted.

Tereshinski credited starter David Greene with helping him pick up the offensive system quickly. He said he started studying the playbook extensively when he joined the team in December for bowl practices.

''I'm starting to get it down a little bit,'' he said.

He recently got his first taste of one of Richt's written quarterback tests.

''It took me a while but it made me sit down and do it and it helped me a lot,'' he said. ''I've got to keep on plugging away at it.''

Tereshinski seems like an ideal candidate for a redshirt this season. The Bulldogs have Greene as the starter and redshirt freshman D.J. Shockley at No. 2. And senior Cory Phillips is the most experienced third-string quarterback in the conference.

But Tereshinki said he hasn't thought about the fall, yet.

''I'm trying this spring to familiarize myself with the offense, and do as well as I can with what I know,'' he said. ''Maybe toward the fall or the end of spring I can look at it and tell where I am, but right now I can't.''

Burnett's career over

Senior Cap Burnett, who was moved from safety to linebacker at the start of spring, has been medically disqualified from football because of repeated concussions.

''It was real hard for me,'' Burnett said. ''I love the game, and I wanted to keep playing.''

Burnett missed most of last season because of lingering problems from several concussions, and Georgia coaches and training staff talked with him during the off-season about taking a medical disqualification. Burnett and his family, though, decided to try it again this season, Richt said.

Saturday, the team's first day of full contact practice, Burnett suffered another concussion and the decision was made that he needed to give up the game. Ron Courson, Georgia's director of sports medicine, told Burnett on Sunday that he would have to quit, Burnett said.

''It still doesn't seem real to me,'' he said. ''It feels like I'm still going out there.''

Burnett was an All-USA Honorable Mention coming out of North Clayton High School in 1997. He started three games at free safety as a sophomore in 2000 but dropped to third-string last year and didn't have any tackles in very limited playing time. He will remain on scholarship and assist the team in some role, Richt said.

Offensive stalwarts

With the possibility of five seniors starting on the offensive line, Georgia coaches expect that position to be a strength. And nothing in the first five days of spring practice has changed that opinion.

''Our pass protection has been outstanding, with the first unit particularly,'' Richt said.

Seniors George Foster, Jon Stinchcomb and Kareem Marshall are the top three tackles. Richt has been particularly pleased with his tackles this spring.

Seniors Kevin Breedlove, when he's healthy, and Alex Jackson will be the first-team guards. The only spot where a senior has serious competition is at center where senior Ian Knight and redshirt freshman Russ Tanner are competing for the job.

Knight started the spring at No. 1 center but minor injuries to Breedlove and Chris Hewitt have forced him over the guard, leaving the No. 1 center spot to Tanner at least for now.

''Russ had been doing a nice job,'' Richt said.

The added experience on the line will allow the Bulldogs to play add more pass protection schemes than they played last year and play their usual ones better.

How important is that? Richt said if the team had executed last year's pass protection schemes better ''we probably win 10 games, maybe more.''

Better effort

Richt was disappointed with the effort during Saturday's practice but saw more things he liked Monday.

''It was a pretty good day,'' he said. ''It was a little more intense than it was Saturday, but we're not there yet.''